


A Wolf in Girl's Clothing

by EarthboundJedi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6602620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarthboundJedi/pseuds/EarthboundJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For <a href="http://akumasonas.tumblr.com/">akuma/miracusona week</a> April 2016.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm the Bad Guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on prompt for day one of akuma/miracusona week - _My Akumasona_
> 
> (Also inadvertently includes the prompt for day 4 about how the akuma got akumatized. I didn't plan on it, it just kind of happened that way)

“Hey, Kimberlie! I’ve been having issues solving the last circuitry problem on our physics homework, do you think we could meet up sometime this weekend and go over it?”

It was the end of the school day, and Adrien was in the courtyard talking to the shy girl on the bench in front of him.

Kimberlie had just moved to their school a couple months ago and still hadn’t made many friends yet. In fact, she seemed to be doing just the opposite – the girl was insanely intelligent, and she had quickly started ruining the curved grading system some of their teachers used. It wasn’t a problem for Adrien, but the rest of his classmates hadn’t been very welcoming so far.

“I… um… sure,” she stuttered, clutching a textbook close to her chest. In a way, she reminded him a little of how Marinette used to act around him after they first met. Well, sort of – Marinette had been a stuttering, adorable klutz. This girl seemed genuinely uncomfortable with human interaction in general.

She seemed like she could use a friend.

Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he said, “We can meet back here in the school library tomorrow afternoon. I’ll even bring snacks.” He gave her one of his sunshine smiles, hoping it would relax her a little.

It seemed to work. She gave him a small smile in return, though the rest of her features still screamed that she was unsure of herself. “Yeah… okay, sure.”

“And maybe afterwards we could go back to my place and play video games or something,” he offered. He wanted to make sure she was aware he didn’t just see her as a walking homework-solving machine.

“R-really?” she hesitated.

“Yeah, Nino and I were going to play some Ultimate Mecha Strike III, and I think he’d appreciate it if there was someone else to kick his butt besides me.” He explained with a wink.

That last bit seemed to do the trick – Kimberlie exhaled as her shoulders relaxed, her eyes beaming up at him. “I-I’d like that a lot.”

“Great! I’ll see you tomorrow, then!”

“Yeah, tomorrow.”

He waved at her over his shoulder as he started walking away, feeling happy that he could do something nice for the shy girl. And, when Marinette came back in a few weeks from interning with the branch of his father’s company in America, he was sure the dark-haired girl would quickly befriend the new brown-haired one.

Adrien breathed in the crisp fall air.  He missed his fashion-designer friend. They had gradually become really close over the past couple of years as she gained control over her stuttering. They had even exchanged a few sweet, innocent kisses during some late night homework sessions. But as much as he cared for Marinette, there was still only one lady who completely gripped his heart.

But Ladybug was currently gone, too. Master Fu had sent her on some sort of secret mission to get more information about the other missing Miraculous, and she had been away from Paris for months. Luckily for him the local akuma activity had pretty much come to a standstill, but he was getting antsy waiting for his lady to come back. Hopefully she’d be back soon.

But until then, at least he had Nino. And, hopefully, a new friend as well.

Adrien was almost out the front door when he heard a shrill voice echo through the courtyard.

“Dammit, Chloe, back at it again with the bullying,” he muttered under his breath.

He whirled around to see the stuck-up brat standing over Kimberlie, leaving the poor girl on the bench cowering where she sat.

“You know you’re only good for that big brain of yours, right? If it weren’t for that, there’s no way Adrien Agreste would ever voluntarily talk to you.”

“B-but – “

“Because let’s face it, there’s no way someone like _you_ could ever be with someone like _him_.” Chloe had clearly moved onto taking a dig at the girl’s appearance. Sure, Kimberlie was no model, but she wasn’t exactly ugly. She had a softness to her despite her awkwardly long limbs, and he thought the rectangular glasses she wore over her sea-green eyes were actually pretty stylish. She was beautiful in her own right, with a hidden inner strength that kept her going despite her shyness.

But now Adrien watched, horrified, as that inner strength completely shattered as Chloe tore her down.

“Who knows, maybe you’d actually be able to get a real date if you put on makeup once in a while and lost a couple pounds!”

And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Adrien tried to quickly make his way back across the courtyard, but before he could make it Kimberlie had run off with her backpack as she tried to hide the tears streaming down her face.

_Crap._

He stormed over to where Chloe stood calling after the poor girl, “Nerd!”

“CHLOE!” he shouted at her. The blonde brat looked up at him with her hands on her hips.

“Now now, Adrikins, I did it for your own good. She wasn’t your type, you don’t want to be hanging around with a girl like that.”

“Chloe, who I decide to be friends with is none of your goddamn business,” he hissed. “And quit calling me ‘ _Adrikins_ ’.” He shot her a withering glare before running off after Kimberlie. 

_I think I saw her running towards the music wing…_

_… I hope I get there before an akuma does._

* * *

 

Kimberlie sat hunched in the corner of a practice room, clutching her viola to her chest.

_Who am I kidding? I’ll never have friends._

_I’m not pretty enough._

_I’m too awkward._

_I’m too smart._

She cried into the sleeve of her shirt, careful to make sure her tears didn’t fall onto her instrument. She hadn’t told anyone she was a musician – most days it was the only thing that gave her comfort, and she didn’t need that taken away from her, too.

Kimberlie fingered a sterling silver bracelet around her wrist. A memory of a failed relationship from her past. A constant reminder of the fact that she would never be good enough. Ever.

Why she still held onto it after all this time, who knows.

Suddenly, she sensed she wasn’t alone. She looked up and saw a black butterfly flapping in the corner of the room.

_Odd, how did that get in here?_

It started making a beeline for her, and instinctively Kimberlie wrapped herself around her viola. The last thing she needed was a creepy bug getting inside it.

The butterfly ran into her wrist, absorbing itself into her bracelet. She felt an overwhelming cloud of darkness settle over her, still dwelling on her self-doubt and frustration in her mind.

When the cloud cleared, it was as if she was looking at the world through a purple haze. Looking in the mirror on the opposite wall, she noticed her glasses had disappeared and were replaced by an elegant, sinister mask.

And that wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

The awkwardness that she usually felt hanging over her form had shifted over her long limbs and torso, settling into the strange figure of someone more attractive and voluptuous than she could ever hope to be.

And yet, somehow, it _was_ her.

A long, glittering amethyst formal dress draped across her new curves, swirling around her bare feet like seafoam in a non-existent breeze. Her hair had grown and curled, falling in chocolate ringlets down the length of her back. With a start she realized her viola had vanished, but it looked like the stringed instrument had somehow played a part in influencing her new hourglass figure. The only thing that actually looked familiar about her reflection was her bracelet, tightly clasped around her right wrist, and her sea-green eyes that looked as dangerous as the depths of the ocean.

She couldn’t help but be pleased at her reflection.

Everything became a dark shade of purple as a voice echoed through her head.

“Warning Siren, this is Hawkmoth.

“I am granting you the power to lure in anyone you please with just the sound of your voice. Once they are under your control, you may do with them as you please.”

“Soon all will love me. They will be drawn to me. And all those who ever mocked me will pay,” she whispered through sharp gritted teeth, her voice like a faint melody on the wind.

“Excellent. In return for your new powers, I only ask for one thing in return: the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

There was no way she was going to give all this up anytime soon.

“Consider it done, Hawkmoth.”

As her vision cleared she spotted a wide-eyed blonde staring at her aghast from the small window on the door, quickly disappearing after she looked his way.

She would have to track him down later. Right now, she had a different blonde that needed an attitude adjustment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This akuma has been brought to you by teenage insecurities, wheeeeeeeeeeee
> 
> (But it's okay. I'm better now. Stronger. Faster. Harder. ...Wait. Just better and stronger)  
> ((But actually, I'm very glad that phase of my life is long over and done with. Hooray for adulting))


	2. Run With the Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt for day 2 - _My Miracusona_

Chat Noir perched on one of the railings of the Eiffel Tower, looking down at the chaos below him. Various groups of people across Paris had fallen under Warning Siren’s spell. Some were aimlessly wandering through traffic, following her bewitching song as she floated through the streets. Others were spreading out, making a beeline for the nearest water source. Presumably to try and drown themselves in it.

And without Ladybug around, he didn’t even know where to begin.

_Crap._

Luckily he hadn’t fallen victim to the akuma’s voice yet himself – in this case, his heightened sense of hearing allowed him to hear past the illusion and remember that it was just Kimberlie underneath. He could still feel the magic pulling at the corners of his consciousness, though, so he would have to be careful and keep his guard up.

It looked like that was about all the luck he was going to get today. Hopefully it would be enough.

“Hey there,” said a female voice behind him, “need a hand?”

His heart lurched in his chest. Maybe he was luckier than he thought. “Why yes, Milady…” he trailed off as he turned around, realizing it wasn’t Ladybug behind him.

Standing on the viewing platform leaning up against one of the supports was some other Miraculous holder, one he hadn’t seen in Master Fu’s book before. She was covered in a skin-tight body suit, similar to his own and Ladybug’s, but whereas Ladybug was nothing but round polka-dots and curves, this girl in front of him was very… angular.

Her midnight blue suit was decorated with lines of silver, running up and down her sides in the sharp outline of diamonds. One particularly large marking came down from her shoulders like a wide v-neck collar and ended just above the curve of her chest. At the base of her neck was the suit’s actual collar, though, forming a solid black band that didn’t even reach halfway up the mysterious girl’s long neck.

A dual, jet-black belt hung casually across her hips, one loop parallel to the ground and adorned with a simple silver buckle while the other sat askew, hanging low against the curve of her right hip. Her clawed gloves and steel-toed boots looked similar to his own at first glance, too. But while his cut off at his wrists and ankles, her dark gear reached up to her elbows and knees, respectively, flaring outwards in a sharp point where they met her joints. Each glove had a thin silver ring around the wrist, and each boot was decorated with a silver anklet.

The band around her right ankle, however, looked a little different than her other markings. Instead of looking like it was a ridge fused to the suit, it had a slight curve to it as it hung around the boot. Upon closer inspection, it had small silver beads spaced out around its circumference. One bead was larger than the rest, looking more like an amulet, and from this distance he could faintly make out a dark blue crescent moon engraved on its surface surrounded by four stars.

_Ahh, that must be her Miraculous._

The girl let out a laugh, “No need to be so formal, Chat Noir.” Her voice was sharp. Not in a cold way, no, more like a clever kind of sharp. The kind of voice that told him this girl’s wit could probably run circles around his own.

_That’s either really good, or really dangerous._

He looked back up at her eyes before continuing, noticing how the silver lines that ran across the angles of her face under the midnight blue mask further enhanced her predatory appearance.

That, and the pair of pointed black and blue ears that sat on top of her chestnut brown hair.

“Sorry, miss, I thought you were someone else.” He felt his heartrate rising in his chest under her piercing gaze. Not quite out of excitement. Not quite out of terror. It was like a weird mix of the two, and he wasn’t sure what to call it.

_Dangerous. That’s what I’m going to call it._

She laughed again, flashing him a toothy smile, “I figured as much.” She coolly walked over to where he was perched, the high ponytail that reached down the entirety of her back swaying in the breeze, her long fringe of pointed bangs fluttering against her well-defined jawline and hiding her human ears.

“I’m Wolfa, by the way. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Uhhh, Volvo?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. Like the animal, you dork. Wolf. Wolf-a.”

“Wolf-ah? But that’s not what you said the first time! It sounded like a ‘V’ sound or something!”

“Ever heard of a German accent before?”

“…oh.” It all made sense now, the sharp angles and predatory air. You don’t pick a fight with a wolf. Or a German. Not if you want to walk away with all of your limbs still operational.

_Dangerous_.

“So, Wolfa, what brings you all the way to Paris?”

“How about first we stop this akuma, then we chat around the campfire and tell each other about our life stories?”

“Meowch, not exactly man’s best friend, are you?” 

Wolfa groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I thought everyone had just been exaggerating when they said you’re a walking source of puns and cat phrases. _Herr, gib mir Kraft_.”

She hopped up onto the railing with him, giving him a view of the diamond pattern that continued down her back from her neckline along her spine. She looked at him with impatience. “Well, are you coming, _Kätzchen_? Or do I need to push you and see if you land on your feet?”

“Hahaha, very funny.”

Then, he watched in horror as she simply leaped off the railing to fall to the ground below. She landed in a roll, unfolding herself with all fours solidly under her, calmly looking back up at him as if nothing had happened. Wolfa called up to him, taunting, “Catch me if you can, _Kätzchen_!” With that, she did a 180 and started bounding off after the akuma.

Chat lowered himself from the Eiffel tower with his baton, letting out a resigned sigh before running after his new colleague.

_At least Ladybug isn’t around to watch this wolf girl run in circles around me._

* * *

 When he finally caught up with Wolfa, she was peering down the street with narrowed eyes, tracking the movements of Warning Siren and her horde of entranced victims. “Took you long enough,” she growled out of the corner of her mouth, head still locked straight ahead.

“How did you even do that?” he panted, slightly out of breath from chasing after her.

“What? Jump off the Eiffel Tower? Run faster than you?” Her emerald eyes flicked away from her target to meet his own. “How about we worry about that after we’ve done our job?”

“Well you like to get right to the point, huh? But how are we supposed to capture the akuma without Ladybug here?”

“Don’t worry, _Kätzchen_ , I have my own method for taking out akumas. What, you didn’t think they were exclusive to Paris, did you?” She crouched over, sliding out a couple weapons from where they were sheathed inside of her boots.

And not a blunt-force weapon, like a yo-yo or a staff. No – she had drawn a pair of sais. A very pointy pair of sais.

His eyes grew wide. “Wait, whoa!!” he exclaimed. “All these people are victims of Hawkmoth’s dark magic, we can’t just – “

“Cool it, _Kätzchen_ , don’t get your knickers all up in a twist,” Wolfa scoffed at him. She spun the steely-pronged weapon in her hands so that she was holding each dark blue-wrapped handle in a reverse grip. “I rarely use these on people.”

Keyword: _rarely_.

_Dangerous_.

One moment, Wolfa was standing next to him balancing on the balls of her feet. The next, she was sprinting down the street, smoothly dodging any cars or civilians that were hurled her way.

“Wait, shouldn’t we figure out where the akuma is hiding first?!?” he shouted after her.

She paused in her advance, in the middle of using her sais to scale a wall to get past a particularly large horde of akuma zombies. “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out!”

If it were possible for someone to sound like they had just winked at you, Chat Noir would have heard it right then and there.

_Is that how he sounded to Ladybug? It was kind of annoying._

With a shake of his head, he followed in pursuit of the wolf Miraculous holder. He was in the middle of the street, attempting to vault over a pack of civilians, when suddenly he noticed Wolfa had already snuck her way around behind Warning Siren. He was about to yell at her to not hurt Kimberlie, but she put a finger to her lips as she passed both weapons to her left hand.

_What was she up to?_

Waiting until she was close enough to her prey, she held up her clawed hand similar to how he activated his Cataclysm.

_Oh no._

“Animal Instinct!” she cried, a flash of bright blue light filling the street. When his vision cleared, he saw Wolfa’s outstretched, glowing blue hand about to land on Warning Siren’s shoulder.

_OH NO._

Before he could even get a word out, her hand made contact with the akuma’s exposed shoulder. He watched with a sickening weight in his stomach, waiting for the victimized girl to fall to a million tiny pieces in the middle of the street.

But nothing happened to her.

… _duh. Because I’m the only one with the power of destruction. What was I even thinking?_

He looked over at Wolfa, whose eyes had changed from piercing green to steely blue.

_Hmmm, I wonder what that means –_

With a sly grin, the hero casually lifted her hand to catch the akuma’s fist as it swung out at her. Almost as if she knew it was going to be there.

_As if she knew it was going to be there…_

“You shall do as I command, evil fiend, let go of my hand!” Warning Siren shrieked.

“Actually, I’m just going to take _this_ ,” Wolfa unclasped the akuma’s bracelet from around her wrist, “and get out of your hair.”

“Noooooooo!” the akuma cried, enveloped by a purple haze as Wolfa snapped the chain with one of her sais. Soon, Kimberlie was back to normal, kneeling on the ground in confusion while the victims of her song all tried to remember where they were at.

With a swift motion, Wolfa pinned the black butterfly that flew out of the bracelet down to the ground using the tip of one of her weapons. Straightening up, she rolled her eyes over at Chat. “Make yourself useful and bring me a jar or something, will you?”

Luckily they were just around the corner from the Dupain-Cheng bakery, so Chat quickly ran inside and, with a nervous smile, asked if they had an empty jar he could borrow. And of course they did, Marinette’s parents were always nice to everyone. Especially Paris’s favorite superheroes. He and Ladybug had barged into their bakery asking for favors more times than he could count.

He hurried back to where Wolfa stood waiting for him, arms crossed and anxiously tapping a foot against the ground next to the pinned akuma. “Took you long enough, _Kätzchen_. Did you decide to take a cat-nap or something?”

“Hey! Maybe I won’t give you this jar after all!”

“And then maybe this stupid butterfly will fly away when my transformation releases in a couple minutes and my magical weapons disappear.”

“Oh.” He handed over the container as she scooped the evil bug inside, tightly sealing the lid. “Won’t the akuma just be able to pass through the glass or something?”

“Maybe. But that hasn’t happened yet since I’ve been doing this. They seem to think they’re safer from me and my kwami when they’re in the jar.”

Suddenly he felt the urge to climb into the jar with the akuma.

_I really miss Ladybug._

Fighting the impulse to hide from the wolf girl, he walked over to where Kimberlie still knelt on the ground. “Hey, Kimberlie.”

She looked up at him with her nervous, sea-green eyes. “Huh? Chat Noir? But what… how…?”

“Chloe was being pretty mean to you earlier, so you came out this way to get some fresh air. You should probably head back to school now.”

“Uh… oh, o-okay.”

Chat watched as the girl walked away, still a little dazed and confused.

“So,” Wolfa smirked at him as she cradled the jarred akuma in her claws. It was a _jarring_ sight, if he said so himself. “I take it you know that girl?”

“Yeah, she’s new to my school this year. Chloe Bourgeois was bullying her before – “

“Ahh, say no more. I’ve heard about her, too. Are you sure she’s not secretly in cahoots with Hawkmoth?”

“Uhhh… yes? No? I mean, she’s been akumatized before herself, so…”

“It would be the perfect cover, don’t you think? Throw everyone off her scent?”

“I’ve known her for a while, and even though she’s stuck up and kind of rotten, she’s not evil. Not Hawkmoth level evil, at least. Just really selfish.”

Wolfa shrugged her shoulders. “Alright. If you say so.” She didn’t seem very convinced.

_Note to self, keep Chloe away from Wolfa. Or a bad hair day will be the least of her problems._

A beeping sound came from around her ankle as a magical blue mist started creeping around the hero’s feet.

“Wolfa! You’re going to – “

“Lose my transformation? Good job, Captain Obvious. That tends to happen after I use my power.”

_Yeeesh, the snark is strong with this one._

The blue mist finished swirling around her body, leaving Wolfa behind in her civilian clothes – a tight black v-neck tee, forest green cargo capris, and… combat boots?

_Who even is this girl?_

The confusion must have shown on his face. “Oh, right, you and your Ladybug have that whole taboo thing about people knowing your identities.”

“Wait, huh? Oh. Yeah. But – “

At that moment, some sort of grey fuzzy blob whizzed out of her right boot. _Must be her kwami._ It floated in the air next to the jar, snarling at the butterfly.

The grey kwami had a bushy tail nearly the same size as its body and tufts of silver fur on its cheeks and between its ears. The expression in its steel blue eyes looked like it could kill, but it was hard to take it seriously when its overall appearance was just _really darn cute_.

“These stupid things look even purpler here in Paris. I don’t like it,” the kwami said gruffly.

“You don’t like anything, Khaan,” she teased.

“That is a lie. I like chicken.”

“Yeah, but that’s, like, it.”

Khaan, assuming that was the kwami’s name, sounded kind of like Plagg with his camembert. The two of them would probably get along really well.

“Aha, so this is the current Chat Noir? He looks kind of scrawny, is he even good for anything?” the grey kwami remarked as he gave Chat a once-over.

“Hey!” Chat protested.

Wolfa put a hand on her hip, chiding her kwami. “Khaan, play nice with _das_ _Kätzchen_. Just because you’re thousands of years old doesn’t mean you can be a grump.”

“Yes it does.”

“Fine. But if he starts batting you around like a ball of yarn, don’t come crying to me.”

“HEY!” both Chat and Khaan complained.

Wolfa smirked as she turned and started sauntering down the street, her long brown ponytail swinging as she walked. “Come on, boys, we have an akuma to take care of.”

Chat stood slightly dumbfounded as the grey kwami caught up to his chosen, leaving him standing in the middle of the street alone. “Wait, do you know where Ladybug is?”

“Were you not listening? I told you, we have our own way of dealing with these nasty bugs.”

_Oh. Right._

He ran to catch up with them, suspiciously eyeing the purple butterfly in the jar. “Soooo…. Where are we going?”

Wolfa looked over at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

“I’m about to take you to church, _Kätzchen_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is essentially my first OC I've ever created (not really counting the akumasona), and I'm in love. Like, that platonic kind of love where you admire someone so much you wish you could be them.
> 
> Also, I made super sketchy references of what her suit/miraculous/kwami look like via Paint, so you can check them out [HERE](http://earthboundpenguin.tumblr.com/post/143150928720/visual-references-for-my-miracusona-wolfa-this-is) to get a better idea of what I'm envisioning.


	3. Lone Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For day 3 of [akuma/miracusona week](http://akumasonas.tumblr.com) \- _Dynamic Duo_

Chat fidgeted in his seat. “How long is this supposed to take, anyway?”

Wolfa was casually slumped in the pew in front of him, the jarred akuma sitting lethargically next to her on the bench. Her kwami, Khaan, sat on top of the lid, occasionally growling or snarling at the purple butterfly.

“Patience, _Kätzchen_. Sometimes the akuma is cleansed within an hour, but most of the time I end up waiting three or four hours for the process to finish.”

“Wouldn’t holy water help, or something?” he asked, motioning to one of the basins in the back of the church.

“Nope. Holy water is just a superstition. Doesn’t work,” she rolled her eyes at his impatience. “All we have to do is sit here in the church with it and nature will take its course. There are a lot of myths and superstitions surrounding the Catholic Church, but one thing I know for sure is that just being inside one has a way of cleansing someone from their demons. Including demonic butterflies.”

“You sound as if you’re speaking from experience.”

“Well duh, I told you, I did this all the time back in Germany.”

“I meant besides akumas.”

She shot him a withering glare before turning to face the front of the church. Apparently that was the end of that conversation.

Adrien was supposed to be at a photoshoot this afternoon, but until he could be sure the akuma wouldn’t be a problem anymore he wasn’t going anywhere. With any luck, maybe the shoot had just been cancelled when the akuma attack started.

Breathing out his anxiousness through his nose, he decided to settle back in his pew and admire the architecture of the church, _Saint-Germain L’Auxerrois_ (the name of the place, according to the sign he had seen outside). His gaze was quickly transfixed by the bright stained glass windows and soaring arches. There was something about this place that seemed like it had withstood the test of time, continually surviving despite the battering it got from the world around it. And although he felt small sitting among the sea of pews, he couldn’t help but feel safe and grounded surrounded by its sturdy walls.

He was starting to understand what Wolfa meant by that whole ‘cleansing someone from their demons’ thing.

Chat leaned forward to rest his hands on the back of the pew in front of him, looking over at Wolfa. “Hey, I’m sorry if I said something that made you uncomfortable.”

She huffed at him. “Hardly. I just don’t understand why you keep asking so many personal questions. It’s pretty ironic, coming from a kid who refuses to drop his mask.”

“I just like to know who I’m working with, that’s all.”

“And yet you don’t know anything about Ladybug.”

“I know enough. But she’s not here right now, anyway.”

“Well I hate to burst your bubble, but I think I’m a little too old for you, _Kätzchen_. What are you, like, seventeen?” she smirked at him.

“Hey! I turned eighteen a few weeks ago, thank you very much!” He heard her snort as he continued. “And for the record, that’s not what I meant at all! I don’t… you’re not…" 

“I know, _Kätzchen_. You’re just so easy to tease.” She winked and poked his shoulder. Even though her mask was off, this girl was still a sharp-witted, mysterious wolf through-and-through. No wonder she had no qualms about de-transforming in public.

“But seriously,” she continued, “you work with the same girl for years and you still don’t know who she is, and yet the second I come on the scene you’re on my case like the Spanish Inquisition.”

“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.”

“Do you even know the meaning of the word ‘seriously’?”

“Yes, but I choose to ignore it.”

“How does Ladybug even put up with you?” she sighed.

“I dunno. She just does. She’s my partner, we’ve been through a lot together.”

“And that brings us back to you explaining why you don’t even know who she is under the mask.” Wolfa raised an eyebrow at him.

“Because that’s what she wants. Believe me, I tried the game of twenty questions with her at first, too, but she thought it would be safest to keep our identities a secret in case Hawkmoth started searching around. And now I’ve just kind of grown used to that being how we operate.

“Don’t get me wrong I’m still curious as all get-out, but… well, you know how that phrase ends for the cat. But Ladybug is my partner and I trust her with my life, no matter who she is behind the mask.”

“Awww, how romantic,” she flashed him a wolfish grin, “But are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“Uh, no. Yes? I’m not sure. You’re really… pointy, and it’s kind of scary.”

Wolfa chuckled softly in her seat. “Awww, is the scaredy cat afraid of the big bad wolf?”

“No! …Yes? Maybe. You’re different from what I’m used to and it’s kind of weird, okay?”

“Whatever you say, _Kätzchen_.”

Her laughter died down and the two sat in silence again. Wolfa tapped the glass of the jar, watching the akuma flutter frantically around inside while her kwami stared at it with hungry eyes. The tip of one of its wings was slowly fading back to white.

Yeah, they were going to be here a while.

After a few minutes, Chat cleared his throat and broke the silence. “So, Wolfa, do you miss _your_ partner?”

“Huh?”

“Your partner. You know, the other Miraculous holder you ran around Germany with. Your version of Ladybug.”

“Oh.” She shifted her gaze to a stained glass window on the far wall, a wistful look in her eyes. “I don’t have a partner.”

“Wait, what?”

“You’ve heard the phrase ‘lone wolf’ before, right?”

“Well, yeah, but – “

“That’s me. A lone wolf. Unless you count Khaan. Then in that case it’s just the two of us, our own little pack verses the world.”

“And I’m the alpha wolf!” the grey kwami proudly interjected.

She laughed at the small furry god. “Oh please, in your dreams!”

_At least Wolfa and her kwami get along really well, but still…_ “That still sounds really lonely.”

“Wow. Creative word choice, _Kätzchen_. And I mean, yeah, it gets lonely sometimes, but that’s just how I operate. That’s how I’ve always operated.”

“Oh.” Chat stared down at his clasped hands. “Well, I for one am used to working with a partner.”

Wolfa shifted in her seat to turn and face him. When she spoke, the edge in her voice was temporarily dulled. “You really miss her, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he muttered softly. “A lot.”

“Well…” her voice transitioned back to its usual sharp tone. “Until Ladybug gets back, I guess you’re stuck with me.”

_Was she actually being… friendly?_

“I’m okay with that. As long as you’re okay with me asking you a gazillion questions.”

“I would expect nothing less, _Kätzchen_. Looks like we’ve still got a few hours to kill, anyways.”

Chat gave her one of his signature Cheshire grins.

_Did I just make a new friend?_

_Is this girl someone I even want to be friends with?_

_Only one way to find out…_

“Okay, so my first question is…”


	4. And a She Wolf After the War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For day 4 of [akuma/miracusona week](http://akumasonas.tumblr.com) \- _The Past_

“… who had the Wolf Miraculous before you?”

Wolfa blinked at him exactly three times before responding.

“ _Kätzchen_. You can ask me literally _any_ question you want, and you ask that one?”

“Uhhhh, yeah.”

“ _Herr, gib mir Kraft_.”

“Now hold on, I have a good reason!” Chat exclaimed as loud as he dared while sitting inside the church. “I don’t remember seeing your Miraculous in Master Fu’s book. Like, literally nothing. So, like, I sort of know the history about myself and Ladybug’s Miraculous, but… well, like, you’re a complete mystery. So I thought that maybe the best place to start would be, like, whoever had it before you… maybe…”

“Why did you say ‘like’ so much?”

“Maybe I just _like_ that word a lot.”

Wolfa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Are you sure Ladybug is actually on a secret mission and not just running away from you?”

“She would never do that, she appurreciates me too much.”

“Chat Noir, I _swear to God_ if you don’t let up on the puns – “

“OOOOOH, you just said that in a church!” he loudly whispered.

“Which should tell you how serious I was when I said it.”

Chat felt himself shrinking back into his seat as she gave him a stony glare. He needed to remember that this girl wouldn’t put up with his puns like his Lady does.

“Now,” she continued, “did you want to hear about who Khaan was hanging around with before me, or not?”

He sheepishly nodded, glancing over at the grey kwami who was still contently antagonizing the evil akuma in its jar. Khaan actually looked like he was about ready to eat the purple butterfly. Chat caught Wolfa’s attention and pointed at the kwami slowly unscrewing the lid of the jar.

She rolled her eyes before barking at him. “Khaan! _Nicht essen den Schmetterling!!_ ”

“Awwww, but I’m hungry!”

“Then eat something that’s not a demonic butterfly! Remember how that turned out the last time?”

“You’re no fun.”

“Just go eat a candle or something, will ya?”

“Fine.” The wolf kwami flew off across the church.

Part of Chat wanted to snicker at the exchange he just witnessed, but the other part of him was very confused. “Wait, is he actually going to go eat a candle?”

“Probably,” she answered. “Khaan has even eaten dirt before. He’ll literally eat _anything_.”

“Including akumas?” he raised a questioning eyebrow.

“That was a special day. And also a story in it of itself. Did you still want to hear about the past Wolf Miraculous holder, or what?”

“Oh yeah! Right!”

Wolfa pulled her feet up onto the pew before continuing.

“His name was _Hauptmann_ Schwarz. He – “

“That means captain, right? Was he in the army or something? Did he fight in a war? What war did he fight in?”

She took in a slow breath, staring him down. “ _Kätzchen_ , if you interrupt me again you won’t have to worry about curiosity killing the cat. Understand?”

He gulped and nodded, making a mental note to keep his mouth shut.

“Good. Now, as I was about to say, he fought in both World Wars. Of course, that time was tough for all the Miraculous holders, but for Schwarz it was particularly difficult.

“By day he was an officer for the German forces. By night he was Wolf, the hero who smuggled information to both sides. He had his own personal goal – end the war as quickly as possible. Didn’t matter who won, just that the fighting would stop.

“So despite his job he held without the mask, he never really picked a side during the conflicts. It drove the other Miraculous holders mad, since every single one of them had either aligned with a side or kept completely neutral, and they ended up ostracizing him for it.”

“Quick question,” Chat interjected, hoping he wouldn’t be skinned alive. “If he was essentially an agent for both sides, isn’t that like being neutral?”

“Not exactly. It wasn’t like he was giving the same amount of intel to each side equally. If he thought he found out something about how to end the war quicker, he took the relevant information to the side that could do something about it. It was more like he kept flip-flopping sides, playing the game his way and no one else’s way.

“His plans always played out exactly the way he wanted them to. He was a brilliant strategist on his own, but with the added power from the Miraculous it kind of rigged his plots in his favor.”

“Sorry, another question: what does your special power do, exactly? I saw you use it earlier, but I wasn’t quite sure…”

“Oh, right. Whenever I, or whoever holds the Wolf Miraculous, uses Animal Instinct it lets me simultaneously sense the past, present, and immediate future of the first thing I touch. That power stays activated until my transformation runs out five minutes later, or until I voluntarily release the transformation.”

“So that’s how you were able to find the akuma so quickly!” he exclaimed.

“Yep. It’s a really handy tool to have up my sleeve.”

“But doesn’t seeing into the future mess up the whole time-space-continuum thing?”

“It’s not exactly seeing into the future. A more accurate description is being able to sense what someone is planning to do right before they do it, during that split second when their brain is telling their muscles what to do next. So, for example, I can’t tell if someone is going to get hit by a bus in the future, but I can tell if they’re about to throw themselves in front of a bus. Make sense?”

“Yeah, I think so. I can see how that would be super useful during a war.”

“Indeed. That’s why a lot of the other Miraculous holders got angry at him for constantly bouncing back and forth between sides as he saw fit.”

Chat hesitantly raised a clawed hand in the air to ask a question.

“ _Kätzchen_ , if I were going to murder you for continually asking questions I would have done it already. So just go ahead and ask.”

“Since Schwarz never picked a side… does that mean at some point he aided the Nazis?”

“Yeah. Not to mention he still served as an officer for them while unmasked. He was a cunning warrior, but his ethics weren’t always up to the highest code. Hence why, after the second World War, the others completely ostracized him from the Miraculous community.”

“Maybe that’s why I never saw you in Master Fu’s book.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. It was difficult enough convincing Fu to let me stay in the country once he found out I had moved here.”

“Really? He tried to kick you out of France?”

“Oh yeah. But with Ladybug temporarily gone, I convinced him to let me stay so long as I don’t stab anyone while I’m here.” Wolfa let out a low chuckle.

“Wait, have you really - ?”

“ _Kätzchen_ , do you actually want to know the answer to that question?”

He shook his head no.

“Good. Because let’s just say I’m not all that different from the man who gave me Khaan.”

_Dangerous._

He wasn’t sure if sitting behind her in a church was a very safe place to be, anymore.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, _Kätzchen_. I may do whatever it takes to get the job done, but I like to think I have a code of ethics I abide by.”

“But you just said – “

“I might injure or maim, but I’ve never killed anything other than spiders. Ever. Winning the fight and doling out punishment, that’s one thing. But to take a life? That’s not my call to make.” With that, she turned her gaze to the crucifix at the front of the church.

_Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged her as the religious type. Especially not with that form-fitting shirt and combat boots._

Chat backtracked his train of thought to something she had mentioned earlier. “Wait a minute, you said Schwarz himself handed you your Miraculous? Wouldn’t that make him super old?”

“Yes. And yes.”

“How did you meet him, at his funeral?”

“ _Kätzchen_ , if I had a euro for every time you asked a question I’d be rich. But I _did_ meet him at a funeral, just not his.

“Both of my parents worked under _Hauptmann_ Schwarz’s command. Then, one day, their reconnaissance plane crashed somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. And just like that, both parents – dead.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. Unless you can transform into a surface-to-air missile, you had nothing to do with it.

“I was maybe about seven when that happened. When they held the funeral, Schwarz came by to say a few words. That’s when he met me, and he must have seen some of himself in me because that’s when he handed me the Miraculous. I never saw him again after that – it’s just been me and Khaan.”

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times,” the wolf kami commented as he flew back over to where they were sitting, a couple flecks of wax stuck in his tufts of fur. “His deciding factor was the fact that you didn’t cry at all about your parents’ deaths. Not once. Heart of steel, this one.”

“That’s an exaggeration. I was just very intuitive and knew they had died doing their duty. Simple as that.”

“I still haven’t ever seen you cry. You may call me an old grump, but you’re not exactly a ray of sunshine, yourself.”

“Oh, shut it, Khaan.”

Chat looked down at the akuma while they were bickering. One half of the butterfly was now white while the other half still glowed a dark purple.

_Looks like we’ll still be here another hour or two_.

Wolfa had followed his gaze, noticing the progress the akuma had made. “Halfway there,” she muttered.

“Whoa, living on a prayer,” he hummed under his breath, echoing loud and clear through the empty church.

This time Wolfa squeezed her green eyes shut and mashed a fist to her forehead in response. “I can’t. I just can’t. Ladybug is a much stronger woman than me for being able to put up with you and your nonsense.”

True to his name, a cat-like smirk crossed his face.

“Well, Miss Wolfa,” he started, folding his hands behind his head, “Since it appears that we still have some time to kill…”

She looked at him expectantly.

“There’s a million things I haven’t asked, but this one’s next –

“What’s your name?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is why Chat/Adrien is NEVER allowed to become an investigative reporter or anything similar. Heheheh.


	5. A Wolf's Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For day 5 of [akuma/miracusona week](http://akumasonas.tumblr.com) \- _Civilian ID_

“Armina Gottschalk.”

_So, Wolfa’s civilian name is Armina Gottschalk._

_Armina Gottschalk… why does that name sound so familiar?_

“Armina?” Chat asked.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing here in Paris?”

“I thought we already established this – saving your sorry butt from taking on akuma attacks alone.”

“No no no, besides that,” he said, waving a hand by his face as he stared at a nondescript point on the pew in front of him, trying to jog his memory.

_Why did that name sound so familiar??_

“Like, what I do when I’m not running around in a superhero mask?”

“Yeah. That. It’s just…” he looked up and met her piercing green gaze. “I feel like I’ve heard your name before. But I can’t quite place it.”

Armina let out a low chuckle. “Wow, _Kätzchen_ , with all of your prior antics I was worried you had very generic tastes in music. Good to know a part of you has an appreciation for the finer things in life.”

_Huh?_

He gave her a baffled look as she pulled out a cell phone from one of the pockets of her cargo capris. After tapping the screen a few times, she selected a video and shoved the device in his claws.

It looked like it was some sort of orchestral recording. On stage in front of the orchestra stood a tall girl in a dark evening gown, her hair tied up in a bun. She looked like she was holding a violin – wait, no, a viola. He glanced at the stage behind the orchestra, and he couldn’t help but feel like he’d seen that concert hall before. Maybe even in person.

As the music started playing, a title flashed across the center of the screen:

_Hindemith: Der Schwanendreher -  für Bratsche und kleines Orchester_

_Armina Gottschalk mit die Wiener Philharmoniker_

“Wait, you played with _the_ Vienna Philharmonic??” he hissed loudly, slightly in shock. Who would have thought that the sharp huntress had a musical side? And not just any musical side – now that his memory had been jogged, he distinctly remembered reading an article about some of the musical prodigies of his generation, and she had definitely been included in the line-up.

He had always thought of himself as a decent piano player, but he didn’t even come close to her level.

“Why the hell would you come to Paris when you’ve done that?”

“ _Kätzchen_ , watch your language, you’re in church.” He felt a faint blush speckle his cheeks. “I wanted a change of pace, and so, after I argued with Master Fu that you would need me while Ladybug is away, I decided to come to the conservatory here to be a professor because they are _sorely_ lacking in viola professors.”

“You’re old enough to do that?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not a matter of age, it’s based on skill and experience. Which I have more than enough of. But for the record, I’m twenty-three.

“Now, is there anything else you still don’t know about me? Because I’m really starting to get tired of answering your questions.”

“Uhhh… oh, after your parents died. Did you grow up in an orphanage or something?”

“Not exactly. My uncle took me in. He’s a priest, so I practically grew up in a church like this one. He’s the one that suggested I pick up music when I, ah, didn’t get along well with the other kids at school.”

“Together we scared those little brats into thinking she was a witch,” her kwami interjected. “It was the most fun I’ve had in centuries.”

Chat, ignoring Khaan, continued his line of questioning. “Is that how you figured out the whole ‘bring an evil akuma inside a church to cleanse it’ thing?”

“Kind of, yeah. And as I told you, places like this have a way of calming and chasing away demons.”

From the look on her face, it seemed like that was as far as she wanted to take that conversation. That was alright, though – Chat had already had more of his curiosities solved than he could have hoped for.

He looked down at the akuma in its jar, watching as the amount of white space on its wings was finally overtaking the purple haze.

Catching his line of sight, Armina threw him a wolf-like grin. “Looks like we still have a little bit of time left, _Kätzchen_. Wanna play a game?”

“I’m not sure I want to play a game with you.”

“If I can’t figure out who you are under the mask before time is up,” she continued, ignoring his mild protest, “Then you have to release your transformation before we leave the church.”

“Hey, that’s not a game! That’s rigged!”

“It’s only fair, _Kätzchen_. You know who I am, and if we’re going to be working together I’d like to know exactly what I’m dealing with here.”

“Understandable. But still not a game.”

“Okay, let me sweeten the deal, then: if I manage to guess correctly, I’ll help you figure out Ladybug’s identity when she gets back in town.”

_Well that sounded very tempting. Even though Ladybug would absolutely hate it._

“I dunno, Ladybug’s always been very adamant on the whole ‘we can’t know each other’s identities’ stance.”

“How many years have you been working together now? Three? It’s only a matter of time until one of you figures it out. Wouldn’t it be better if you knew first before someone like Hawkmoth finds out?”

“… that is a good point.”

She stuck her hand out in front of her as if waiting for a handshake. “So, what do you say?”

_Why do I feel like I’m about to make a deal with the devil?_

He placed a clawed hand into hers. “Fine. You have a deal.”

Her eyes lit up like a predator hunting its prey. “Excellent. I already have a pretty good guess at who you are, I just need to confirm it.”

With a wink, she snatched back her phone from his other hand, furiously searching for something.

_Uh-oh. I’ve got a bad feeling about this._

It took her all of maybe twenty seconds before she held up her phone victoriously. And half of that had been waiting to get a better signal inside the church.

_Crap, am I really that obvious?_

She shoved the screen of her phone in front of him, and he found his own face staring back at him. Lots of his face. Very many pictures of his face. Because he’s a goddamn fashion model and you can get hundreds of pictures of his face in less than a minute if you type in his name into the search bar.

Which is exactly what Wolfa had done.

That was probably the shortest ‘game’ he had ever played.

He groaned as he looked at Armina’s smug face. “How’d you figure it out so fast?”

“I keep up with pop culture, too, _Kätzchen_. And although that transformation of yours hides quite a bit, that fabulous hair and jawline of yours were a dead giveaway.

“ _And_ the fact that whenever you don’t know what to do with your limbs, you fall into a standard modeling pose.”

“Oh.”

She leaned back in the pew, putting her hands behind her head and flashing him a toothy smile. “It also helps that I have great natural instincts. Some might even call them… _animal_ -like.”

Adrien rolled his eyes at the play on words.

“What, _Kätzchen_ , don’t like your own methods used against you?”

“Not _paw-_ ticularly.”

“Do you _really_ want to try to get involved in a game of wits with me? We’d be here even longer than it takes to cleanse the akuma.”

“Why not? I’ve got nine lives.”

“In that catsuit, maybe. But, if I recall correctly, we had an agreement.”

Adrien sighed. It’s not like it made a difference anymore, she had already figured him out. And the church was completely empty except for the two of them. “Fine.”

There was a flash of green light as he released his transformation, the black suit disappearing as Plagg rocketed out of his ring. Plagg immediately spotted the akuma-in-a-jar and pressed up against the glass.

“Its wings kind of look like cheese. Does it taste like camembert? I’m hungry,” the kwami whined.

Khaan peered at Plagg from the other side of the jar. “Nope. They kind of taste like dust. Very boring.”

“Khaan!!!!” Plagg gasped, zipping around and tackling the miniature wolf. “I haven’t seen you in nearly a century! No one quite understands my grumpiness like you do!”

“Pffft, bleh, get off me!” Khaan growled, swatting at the miniature god of destruction.

Adrien and Armina started laughing at the two kwamis.

_Good to know I didn’t get stuck with the grumpiest of the kwamis after all._

Armina gracefully rocked forward back into an upright position, picking up the jar. With a grin, she rattled the white butterfly in Adrien’s face. “Good news, _Kätzchen_ , our work here is finally done!”

She sprang up from the pew, swinging into the aisle and strolling towards the door at the back of the sanctuary. Both Khaan and Plagg flew after her, still trying to antagonize the captured butterfly.

Adrien’s pew creaked underneath him as he stood up and walked to the end of his row. Once he reached the aisle, he took a moment to genuflect and make the sign of the cross before joining Armina in the back. She greeted him with a raised eyebrow.

“You continue to surprise me, _Kätzchen_. Our temporary arrangement might just work out after all.”

“Only if you quit keep calling me _Kätzchen_ when I’m not transformed. I don’t need the people of Paris trying to connect the dots.”

“Ugh, so I have to come up with a second nickname?” she complained as they walked out the door together into the fading evening sunlight.

“Or, you know, you could just call me by my actual name.”

“Mmmm, no.” Armina unscrewed the lid of the jar, releasing the purified akuma into the sky. After putting the lid back on, she snapped her fingers. “Aha! I’ve got it -

“- _Dummerchen_.” She reached out and playfully ruffled his hair.

“Hey!”

The wolf girl smirked at him as she tossed the empty jar his way. With a two-fingered salute, she turned on her heel and started heading down the street, her kwami flying into a pocket of her pants to avoid the prolonged stare of any wandering civilians nearby.

“See you around, _Dummerchen_!” she called over her shoulder, her long brown ponytail swaying in the gentle breeze.

Adrien watched her leave, turning the now useless jar over in his hands. “Plagg, what does ‘Dummerchen’ even mean?… Hey, what’s so funny?”

The little black kwami was perched on his shoulder right next to the collar of his shirt, doubled over in laughter. “Oh, kid, you should have just let her keep calling you kitten.”

“But what - ?”

Plagg continued to snicker uncontrollably. “Look it up! Heheheh...” The kwami wheezed as his laughter died down. “Aahhhh, Khaan’s found himself a good one this time around. We’re gonna have so much fun until Ladybug comes back!”

“You mean, _you’re_ going to have fun. I’m just going to try not to get eaten alive.” He rolled his eyes at Plagg as the kwami tucked himself into the inside pocket of his jacket.

“Now now, Adrien, don’t be like the boy who cried wolf,” Plagg teased.

“Haha, very funny.”

A crescent moon was rising over the horizon, watching the sun as it set on the other side of the sky.

Adrien wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but he swore he heard a distant howl on the wind.

_Ladybug, please come back soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to a point where I wasn't quite satisfied with how I ended this, but... oh well. *shrugs*
> 
> I hope you've liked getting to know my miracusona/OC!! This may or may not be the last you've seen of her, muahahaha (in case the super open-ended ending didn't clue you in to that. not that I have anything planned right now, because I've already got enough to work on at the moment. but who knows what the future will hold?)


End file.
